Table 2.
Results of meta-analyses of toxicities reported in randomized controlled trials with weekly versus three-weekly docetaxel
| Toxicity | No. studies | Ref | Weekly Totals n/N |
Three-weekly Totals n/N |
Pooled RR | 95% CI | p | I2 (%) | Pq | τ2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3/4 | ||||||||||
| Neutropenia | 3 | [22, 23, 25] | 14/179 | 87/177 | 0.16 | 0.10 – 0.27 | < 0.001 | 0 | 0.67 | 0 |
| Febrile Neutropenia | 3 | [22, 23, 25] | 5/179 | 27/177 | 0.21 | 0.08 – 0.55 | < 0.01 | 0 | 0.48 | 0 |
| Neuropathy | 4 | [22–25] | 5/227 | 20/231 | 0.29 | 0.11 – 0.78 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.66 | 0 |
| Infections | 3 | [22, 24, 25] | 10/168 | 9/172 | 1.11 | 0.45 – 2.73 | 0.82 | 0 | 0.62 | 0 |
| Fatigue/Asthenia | 3 | [22, 23, 25] | 23/179 | 28/177 | 0.81 | 0.48–1.37 | 0.44 | 1 | 0.36 | 0.003 |
| Fluid retention/edema/effusions | 4 | [22–25] | 13/227 | 8/231 | 1.49 | 0.44 – 5.02 | 0.52 | 31 | 0.23 | 0.472 |
| Skin toxicity | 3 | [22, 24, 25] | 19/168 | 9/172 | 2.04 | 0.75 – 5.56 | 0.16 | 34 | 0.22 | 0.269 |
| Nausea a | 4 | [22–25] | 11/227 | 15/231 | 0.74 | 0.31–1.78 | 0.50 | 12 | 0.33 | 0.094 |
| Vomiting a | 4 | [22–25] | 12/227 | 14/231 | 0.85 | 0.30–2.37 | 0.75 | 32 | 0.22 | 0.358 |
| Diarrhea | 3 | [22, 24, 25] | 8/168 | 17/172 | 0.50 | 0.22–1.14 | 0.10 | 0 | 0.67 | 0 |
| ≥ Grade 3 or leading to treatment withdrawal | ||||||||||
| Epiphora/lacrimation | 2 | [22, 23] | 13/100 | 3/100 | 3.62 | 1.07–12.22 | 0.04 | 0 | 0.47 | 0 |
| ≥ Grade 2 or leading to treatment withdrawal | ||||||||||
| Onycholysis b,c | 2 | [22, 25] | 16/120 | 4/118 | 3.90 | 1.34 – 11.32 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.79 | 0 |
| Other | ||||||||||
| Patient withdrawals due to toxicity | 2 | [22, 25] | 43/120 | 27/118 | 1.52 | 1.00 – 2.32 | 0.05 | 11 | 0.29 | 0.011 |
n number of patients with an event in the treatment arm, N Total number of patients in the treatment arm, RR risk ratio, CI confidence interval, Pq p-value for heterogeneity, I2 measure of statistical heterogeneity, τ2 between-study variance
aEvents from studies where combined outcome was reported cases were counted in both separate analyzed toxicities
bGrade cut off based on largest group available for analysis
cRef. [23] not included in analysis since no grade 2 onycholysis reported